3.13. What is the origin of saboten?

The origin of the word saboten (仙人掌,覇王樹,サボテン),
meaning "cactus", is unclear. It may be a combination of the
Portuguese word for soap, sabão and te (手), "hand". This was
because a kind of cactus called uchiwa saboten was used for
cleaning oil from tatami mats.